The investigative team Mision Verdad has released a brief analysis on the terrorist attack against the Bolivarian National Guard in Venezuela.

The investigative team Mision Verdad has released a brief analysis on the terrorist attack against the Bolivarian National Guard, GNB, in Venezuela, in which seven were arrested, one injured and another two killed.

1. Attacks against military installations are a common strategy used by the Venezuelan opposition to generate fear. In the past, there have been similar attacks against the Francisco de Miranda airbase and the military barracks in Fuerte Tiuna in Caracas.

2. The operation occurred just as the opposition lost its political capacity and power to mobilize after the Constituent Assembly made its first decisions.

3. The attack was not a coup attempt or a military uprising. Most of those implicated are mercenaries who dressed up in military outfits and were possibly commanded by the former captain of the GNG Juan Carlos Caguaripano, who deserted in 2014 after being involved in a failed uprising.

4. The attack sought to circulate an image of lawlessness and fracture the military. Media like CNN Spanish have utilized this armed operation to project a new wave of violence in Venezuela.

5. After the armed attack by Oscar Perez against the Supreme Court and the Interior Ministry, as well as the violence that took place on July 30 during the elections for the National Constituent Assembly, the new strategy of the opposition has been to create, train and finance mercenary groups, which are increasingly more professional and capable of applying tactics of sabotage and dirty war against the country. It is the same plan currently being used in Syria and Libya to promote U.S. military intervention.

6. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio celebrated the attack. He also represents the most radical of U.S. opponents against Venezuela.

7. The attack was repelled by the Bolivarian Army and calm was restored. However, authorities reported that weapons from the 41 Brigade were stolen.

8. Various international analysts and NGOs connected to the United States and Europe, including the International Crisis Group and New York Times writer David Smilde, have legitimized the possible armed conflict generated by local and external actors.

9. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said August 3 that the United States would look to “create a change of conditions where either Maduro decides he doesn’t have a future and wants to leave of his own accord or we can return the government processes back to their constitution” — a statement that does not rule out the use of force (including a dirty war staged by a private transnational army) to remove President Maduro from power.

10. The Colombian government of Juan Manuel Santos must recognize that Colombia is an enormous arms and mercenary market which could amplify similar operations.